# Espresso Macchiato Source: https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/espresso-macchiato/ Last updated: 2026-10-21 > An espresso macchiato is a shot of espresso "marked" with a small amount of milk and milk foam. Macchiato means marked or stained in Italian. It's the smallest milk coffee: Trade says the milk and foam should be no more than the espresso, so a 1.5 oz shot makes a drink of 3 oz at most. ## At a glance - Chapter: Espresso drinks - Served: Hot - Brewing method: https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/ - Origin: Italy - Glass: Small espresso cup or glass, up to about 3 oz (90 ml) - Also known as: caffè macchiato, macchiato ## Ingredients - 1 single or double shot espresso - about 3 oz (90 ml) in the jug; use only a spoonful or two milk, steamed into foam ## Steps 1. **Make the espresso**: Brew a single or double espresso into a small cup or glass. 2. **Steam a little milk**: Steam about 3 oz of cold milk in the smallest jug you have, letting in air at the surface for a few seconds, then sinking the wand to spin the milk. 3. **Mark the espresso**: Spoon a little foam onto the shot, the traditional way, or pour a small amount into the centre for a simple latte-art heart. 4. **Serve**: Keep the milk and foam to no more than the volume of the espresso, and serve straight away. An **espresso macchiato**, or *caffè macchiato*, is a shot of [espresso](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/) "marked" with a small amount of **milk foam**. *Macchiato* means marked or stained in Italian: the spot of white tells you it isn't a plain espresso. It's the smallest and strongest of the milk coffees, with just enough milk to take the edge off the shot. Here's how to make one, where the name comes from, and why it gets confused with drinks that share its name. ## The short version - **Espresso plus a mark of milk foam**, nothing more. - **Tiny**: Trade says the milk and foam should be no more than the espresso. - **Two styles**: foam spooned on top, or poured for a little latte art. - **The opposite of a latte macchiato**, which is milk marked with espresso. - **Not a caramel macchiato**, which is a big, sweet Starbucks drink. ## What's in an espresso macchiato? Trade's guidance: a macchiato is usually no more than a few ounces, and the milk and foam together shouldn't exceed the espresso. A **1.5 oz shot** makes a macchiato of **3 oz at most**. Café Barista gives the recipe for a single or a double: | | Single | Double | | --- | --- | --- | | Coffee | 9–11 g | 18–20 g | | Hot milk | About 1 tablespoon | About 2 tablespoons | | Foam | A spoonful on top | A spoonful on top | Nescafé uses even less: a shot of espresso with just **1–2 teaspoons** of steamed milk. Because it uses less milk than any other milk coffee, Trade says, it's the one most likely to taste like the beans in your espresso, with only a bit of the edge taken off. Nescafé agrees that the milk adds a slight sweetness but isn't enough to dull the espresso, so a macchiato can taste a little bitter. ## How do you make an espresso macchiato? You need an espresso machine. Trade's method: 1. **Pull the shot.** It works best, Trade says, at a 1:2 ratio, for example 18 g of coffee to 36 g of espresso. See our [espresso guide](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/). 2. **Steam a little milk.** It's hard to froth a tiny amount, so put about 3 oz of cold milk in your smallest jug. Hold the wand at the surface for a few seconds to let air in, then sink it to spin the milk. 3. **Mark the shot.** Either **spoon** some foam onto the espresso, the older way, or **pour** a little into the centre and draw it across into a heart, the style that's become popular in specialty cafés over the last decade. Spooned, the foam and espresso hit your palate more separately; poured, they're a little more integrated, Trade notes. ## Why is it called a macchiato? To tell it apart. Nescafé and Trade both say the mark of milk was a way for baristas to show waiters which cup was a plain espresso and which had a little milk in it. When that started, the sources disagree: | Claim | Source | | --- | --- | | The macchiato was already part of Italian coffee culture in the 1940s, alongside the cappuccino and caffè latte | CoffeeGeek, in its history of the Americano | | It is believed to have been invented by Italian baristas around the 1980s | Café Barista | ## When do you drink one? Here too, the sources pull in different directions. **Café Barista** says that because Italians don't order a cappuccino after 11am, the macchiato, "a kind of mini-cappuccino", is the alternative for any time of day; **Nescafé** calls it the perfect afternoon coffee. **Tasting Table**, on the other hand, says most Italian cafés won't serve drinks that call for milk after 11am, "including things such as macchiatos". ## Espresso macchiato vs other drinks - **[Latte macchiato](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/latte-macchiato/):** the inverse, a tall glass of milk marked with espresso. - **[Cortado](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/cortado/):** a little bigger, with lightly textured milk. - **[Cappuccino](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/cappuccino/):** much more milk, under a thick cap of foam. - **[Flat white](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/flat-white/):** a small, strong milk coffee with silky microfoam. Explore every drink in the [espresso drinks chapter](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/espresso-drinks/). ## Words used in this guide - [Microfoam](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/microfoam/): Microfoam is milk steamed so that the air in it forms very small, even bubbles, giving a silky, glossy texture rather than a stiff, bubbly froth. ## FAQs ### What does macchiato mean? "Marked" or "stained" in Italian. Nescafé and Trade both explain that the mark of milk let baristas and waiters tell an espresso with a little milk apart from a plain espresso. ### What is the difference between an espresso macchiato and a latte macchiato? They're opposites. An espresso macchiato is espresso marked with a little milk foam; a latte macchiato is a tall glass of steamed milk marked with a little espresso, Trade explains. ### Is a caramel macchiato a macchiato? Not really. Trade says the caramel macchiato is a latte macchiato with caramel sauce, and often vanilla syrup, invented by a Starbucks barista in the 1990s, usually served in a cup of 12 oz or more. It's about as different from an espresso macchiato as a coffee drink can be. ### What is the difference between a macchiato and a cortado? Size and milk. Trade says the cortado and the Australian piccolo are slightly larger drinks, poured with gently textured milk and not much foam. A macchiato is smaller, with just a mark of foam. ### Can you drink a macchiato in the afternoon in Italy? The sources disagree. Café Barista and Nescafé present it as the milky coffee for any time of day, when a cappuccino would be too heavy. Tasting Table says many Italian cafés won't serve milky drinks, macchiatos included, after 11am. ## Sources - [Deep dive: what is a macchiato coffee?](https://www.drinktrade.com/blogs/education/what-is-a-macchiato-espresso) - [What is a macchiato coffee?](https://nescafe.com/coffee-culture/knowledge/macchiato) - [How to make a macchiato?](https://cafebarista.ca/en/blogs/coffee/how-to-make-macchiato) - [How to make an Americano](https://coffeegeek.com/guides/howtos/americano-how-to/) - [10 facts about traditional Italian lattes that you should know](https://www.tastingtable.com/1761990/italian-latte-facts/)